Animal-trap.



T. H. DONLON.

ANIMAL TRP. APPLIGATIONl FILED rm. 16,1914,

1,121,174, Patented Dec. 15, 1914,

W/TNESSES.- ufl/EN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

FNTFD STATES PATENT FFQE.

THOMAS H. DONLON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM LOWRY, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

ANIMALTRAP.

maigre.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 191e.

Application led February 16, 1914. Serial No. 818,908.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS H. DoNLoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, ,in the county of `Gnondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Animal- Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in animal traps, and has for its object to provide a trap ofthe well-known springactuated jaw type, which is novel, simple and powerful.

A further object is to provide a novel and simple tripping device associated with the usual bait-plate, whereby by the compressing of the actuating spring, one of the jaws is forced downwardly and engages and liitts the bait-plate into the set7 position, and at the same time becomes automatically locked thereto without requiring the operator to manipulate or touch the said plate in order to effect the setting and locking of the parts. And a further object is to provide means for applying tension to the bait-plate support for rendering the self-locking eli'ective.

The various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the trap in set position. Fig. 2 is a side view of the trap in released or unset position. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 in which the full lines show the parts in released position; the dotted lines showingthe position of the parts when the trap is set. Fig. 4 is a cross-section, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1 showing more clearly the setting and locking features.

ln the drawing, 2 represents the base' plate having bent-up ends 3 and-f1, each of which is provided with. two perforations 5, in which the trunnions 6 and 6 of the jaws 7 and 8 are pivoted. The jaws are closed and held in the closed position shown in Figs, 2 and 3, by the power of a spring 9, which is bent upon itself and its ends are provided with loops or eyes 10 and 11, which respectively encircle the jaws, and the inner end Itot the base plate.

12 represents a lug or arm preferably integral with the jaw 8, which projects laterally and upwardly from the trunnion 6, and is in the path of, and is adapted to be engaged by, the loop 10 of the spring 9 when the latter' is depressed for setting the trap. By the provision of the lug 12 the jaw 8 is forced downwardly a measured distance, and at the same time the said jaw is subjected to a certain pressure which aids'in the automatic setting of the trap, as will be presently explained.

13 represents a cross-plate, which is secured to the base-plate by a rivet 14:. The outer end of the plate 13 is split and the arms are given a half-twist for bringing their sides parallel, thus providing afork 15, between which is pivoted a trigger or lever 16 by a pin 17.

18 represents the usual bait plate or pan, which is secured to the trigger 16, and is disposed over the center of the base-plate. The pivoted end 16 of the trigger 16 is cut away or notched to provide a pointor tooth 19 which projects rearwardly of the pivot pin 17, the top-face of said tooth declining toward the bottom of the notch, and 20 represents a tooth or hook forming the top-side of the notch, which, together with an inwardly projecting lug 21 integrally formed with the jaw 8, constitutes the lock or latch which holds the trap in the set position, shown in Fig. 1.

The arms of the fork 15 of the cross-plate constitute springs, the free ends of which preferably tend to approach toward each other, so as to grip the notched end 16 of the trigger 16 with sufficient tension to hold the bait pan 18 in the elevated (horizontal) position, whenever itis lifted by theV downward movement of the jaw 8 acting on the tooth 19. The said tension is necessary in order to prevent the plate 18 from gravitating when the pressure on the spring 9 is relaxed at the end of the nal tilting movement of the plate 18. This retention of the plate 18 in the elevated position, by the tension exerted by the fork 15, allows the lug 21 to enter the notch and engage the underside of the tooth 20, before the .plate 18 has time to descend to the normal or inclined position, shown in Fig. 2, and also in full lines in Fig. 3. The said tension ot the fork 15 also tends to prevent the accidental tripping of the bait-plate- 18, by its own weight induced by the jarring or jolting of the trap after it 1s set for amtrap for lifting the bait-.plate 18., as in most of the older forms of traps, wherein the bait-plates are loosely pivted to the crossplates.

The operation of' my improved trap is very simple. 1llie userdisposes the .trap on the ground or ioor and places liis ioot on the top Aarm of the spring 9 and depresses the said arm. .In descending, the loop 10 of the said arm of the spring engages the hook or lug 12, and thereby forces the jaw 8 downwardly until the lug 21 carried 'by said jaw engages the point of the tooth 1.9 of the trigger 16. 'The further downward movement of the jaw 8, lindert-.he pressure exerted by the'operators foot depresses the tooth 1.9 which lifts the bait plate 18 from the inclined position, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to the elevated or horizontal position, shown in Fig. 4f and in dottedvlines in Fig. 3. The 11p-lifting of the plate' 16 lceases when the lng 12 encounters the loop 1.1 of the spring (see dotted lines in Fig. 3). During the final downward movement of the jaw 8, the lug 21 fol-lows and engages the inclined top of v-the tooth 19 untilv its free or forward end under-laps the loclu'ngtooth 20. The operator may then relax the pressure on .the spring 9, and owing to the tension exerted by the spring arms 15 of the cross-plate 13, the bait-plate 18 and its support, the trigger 16, will beheld elevated, while the jaw 8 which tends to rise immediately the pressure on spring 9 is relaxed,

moves out ot engagement with the tooth 1S and engages the underside ci? the tooth 20, as shown in Fig. a and by dotted lines in Fig.f3. The trap is then set ready for the animal to step on or otherwise depress the plate 18, *for releasing the jaw 8, and allowing the spring-9 to close both jaws as shown inFigs. 2 and 3.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, is-

1. @An animal trap, including a base-plate,

menare Y aA spring support for said lever adapted to apply tension :Eer permittin the automatic setting of the bait-plate an gtor preventing the .accidental tripping of .said lbait-plate.

2.' An animal trap, including a base-plate, an actuatin spring, jaws pivoted to said plate, one o said jaws provided with a lug adapted to be engaged by said spring for opening said jaw a measured distance, said jaw having a second lug, a bait-plate,` a trigger supporting Vsaid plate, one end of said trigger notched to providean actuating-tooth for engagement with said second 111g for tilting said bait-plate, and a lockingtooth for engagement by said second lng for holding the baite-plate in set position, and means for applying tension to said trigger for permitting the automatic setting of the bait-plate and for preventing .the accidental tripping of said plate.

3. An animal tra including an actuating-spring, .a pair o jaws, one of said jaws provided with a lug adapted to be engaged by said spring for opening said 'j aw ameasured distance. ,sa-id jaw having a second lug, a bait-plate, a lever, one end of sald lever supporting said plate, the other end of said lever havin an actuating-tooth .engaged by saidl second 11 for tiltin the baitfplate and a lookin -to A engaged y said second lug for ho ing said baitrplate in .the set position, and a spring-fork pivotally sup orting said `lever and applying its tension or first permitting the automaticsett' and then preventing the accidental tripping of said bait-plate.

ln testimon. Whereef l aiixniy signature in presence o two witnesses.-

HOWARD V. RnmsoN, Healer. DE warmem.

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